Man's Best Friend
by CrystalSaffron
Summary: After Estel recieves a new dog, new problems arise and Estel and his family suddenly find themselves with a new threat. Young Estel, Legolas, the twins, Glorfindel.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Man's Best Friend

Summary: After finding a young puppy close by the house and bringing him home, Estel soon falls into danger that's connected to the small dog.

Disclaimer: Everything that's recognized doesn't belong to me but rather the genius of J.R.R. Tolkien. I own the plot and the dog, so please don't take those. Or sue.

Feedback: Please feed the feedback monster? It pleases her and she'll be much more willing to update if she knows people are reading the story…

A/N: This is my first Lord of the Rings story, so please be nice, but feel free to point out any mistakes that aren't cannon or any discrepancies grammatical or otherwise. Also please note that since I'm really not that familiar with Gilraen and her character I'm going on the basis that she died with her husband. Sorry if you like her! This chapter is a bit short as the introduction but they should get longer as I go on… Thank you for reading!

* * *

The sun shone down upon the earth, warming the ground and the air, making all those who wandered beneath the rays sleepy and content. The grass swayed slightly under the soft breeze and a rabbit hopped over to a pool of water and sniffed at it cautiously. After a moment it bent down and started to drink it up.

Not very far away, under the cover of a large pile of rocks, a head of dark brown hair peeked from the top of the rocks, followed shortly by a pair of silver eyes that were staring at the rabbit. Next a small nose and mouth appeared and a chin rested on the cool boulders.

Very slowly, the boy with silver eyes crept around the boulder and behind a patch of long grass, keeping his eyes on the unaware rabbit. He stopped and held his breath as the rabbit stopped its drinking and held up its ears, listening cautiously.

Soon it bent back down and started to drink again and the boy crouched and started forward again slowly. He was almost upon the rabbit when he was startled by a loud cry of "Estel!"

The rabbit, seeing Estel, scattered away to the underbrush and Estel nearly growled in frustration. Soon a tall elf with dark hair and grey eyes appeared and when he noticed Estel he let out a sigh of relief.

"Estel! Where have you been? You missed your lessons with Erestor _and_ lunch." The elf asked. "Ada has been worried."

Estel's eyes widened in shock and he glanced up at the sky where he was finally aware of the hour. He turned back to the elf that was still waiting for an answer and bowed his head slightly. "I'm really sorry, Elladan, I was playing and I didn't notice the time." He scrunched up his nose and looked back up to his elven brother, "Besides. It's _arithmetic."_ He emphasized the word as if that would explain everything.

"Arithmetic or not, you still missed your lessons and you'll have to make them up tomorrow."

"But Elladan!" The little boy exclaimed, "I'm supposed to go riding with you and Elrohir tomorrow!"

"You should have thought of that before you lost track of time." Elladan said disapprovingly, but seeing Estel's despaired countenance he melted, "Maybe you can make some sort of deal with Erestor about making it up. Maybe some extra work or something of the sort."

Estel's face lit up and he leaped forward. "Thank you so much 'Dan!" He cried, hugging his brother's middle.

Elladan laughed and hugged the little boy back, "Don't thank me yet, Erestor may still not agree. But lets get back to the house so you can ask him, shall we?"

Estel nodded against his brother's side and then smiled mischievously up at Elladan. "I'm gonna beat you."

"What?"

But Estel was already off racing ahead, laughing as he went. Elladan let out a chuckle before chasing after his younger brother, easily catching up to him and sweeping him up for a piggy-back ride back to the house where their other brother and Ada were waiting.

Neither of them noticed the pair of eyes watching them from the forest. Slowly they disappeared and the figure of a man unfolded from the shadows and started back across the valley where his compatriots waited. He had some interesting things to report.

* * *

A/N: Like I said, short beginning! But it will get better, I promise!...or I hope, haha. 


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: Ahh, just a nice chapter between a father and son.

Disclaimer: Everything that's recognized doesn't belong to me but rather the genius of J.R.R. Tolkien. I own the plot and the dog, so please don't take those. Or sue. Suing makes me want to cry, and I make people sad when I cry…

Feedback: Please feed the feedback monster? It pleases her and she'll be much more willing to update if she knows people are reading the story…Thank you so much for all your feedback so far! I haven't forgotten about this story, I promise! I will be responding to you all personally after Christmas! All of your reviews truly do help with encouraging me to write, and I appreciate it.

A/N: Sorry for the long time it took to update! College started and attacked me before I realized it and I was doing homework pretty much 24/7. Though that is a poor excuse, so I apologize! Also, if anyone would like to volunteer to be a Beta reader I would be extremely pleased! Sucks, my grammar does. Unhappy, that makes me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter! Happy Holiday's!

* * *

Elrond did not like paperwork, or so he decided, as he stared blankly at the towering pile of offending papers on his desk. In fact, he would even go as far to say that he despised it more than he despised Sauron but that would have been going a bit far. But as a twitch developed right above his eye he amended that it was nearly on the same level as a Balrog.

Sighing, he sipped his tea, leaning back in his chair and taking a few moments to relax before delving into the Eru-forsaken papers. _Erestor really must delight in this._ He thought. _I would even go as far to believe that he invents these sheets and lists that I must go over simply for sadistic pleasure._ The tick started up above his eye again and he gently set down his tea to rub his temples. He looked mournfully at the desk again; as if hoping it would all disappear, but when it didn't he shrugged and set into going over each document.

A few hours later he unbent from his position and stretched his fingers out to get circulation back into them. He relaxed in his chair, a small smile of relief on his face. _Finally finished._ He went to stand up from his chair when a small bundle burst into his office and ran straight into his lap, pushing Elrond back into the chair with an 'oomph.'

The little bundle, which he identified as Estel from the nest of curls on his head, was talking into Elrond's middle so he wasn't able to understand him. Pulling Estel back a bit from his death grip on Elrond's middle he inquired, "What did you say?"

Estel's happy face grinned up at him, eyes cheerful and face red from exertion. "I said, Hello Ada!"

"Hello to you to Estel. You missed your lessons today with Erestor."

"I know Ada and I'm sorry," Estel said with a small pout on his face. "But it was _arithmetic._"

Elrond nodded his head knowingly. "Ahh, arithmetic."

"Yes, ada, arithmetic."

"You know, arithmetic can be very useful."

Estel scrunched his nose in distaste, "It can not."

"Indeed it can be, Estel." Elrond said, "For instance, if you were leading an army of men and elves, and you needed to figure out how many divisions to send to each stronghold, you would not be able to figure out which divisions to send without arithmetic."

"Really, ada?" Estel asked, eyes wide in thought.

"Really, my son."

Estel laughed, "But that's silly Ada, I'm never going to lead an army!"

Elrond looked away for a moment, "Hopefully not, Estel." Elrond hugged Estel to him for a moment longer and then pulled away with a serious look on his face. "But Estel, you do have to go apologize to Erestor for missing his lesson and make it up tomorrow."

Instantly Estel had a pout on his face that nearly undid Elrond, but he held fast against it. "No, Estel, you have to."

Estel nodded grudgingly and slowly dragged his feet towards the door but Elrond stopped him and said that he would get a special treat tomorrow for completing all of his assignments and if he behaved well. The little boy let out a gasp of delight and dashed over to his foster-father again and hugged him, spilling over with promises about how well he would do tomorrow and how he would go to apologize to Erestor right now, before rushing out the door to go find his tutor.

Elrond smiled in the wake of Estel's departure, hoping that Estel would like his present, and behaved as promised. In a much better attitude than a few hours before, Elrond sat back down on his desk and leaned back in his chair as he contemplated the peace and joy that Estel's presence had brought into the household. He was interrupted from his thoughts as Glorfindel poked his head into the room and informed Elrond that dinner was being served soon. Elrond thanked him and stood, and reached over for the stack of papers that he had finished only a few minutes earlier. There was a cry that had Glorfindel run back into the room, to find Elrond sunk down in his chair shaking his head and muttering as a pile of tea-soaked papers wilted on his desk. Glorfindel, seeing that there was no danger present, just quirked an eyebrow at his Lord and friend and left to eat whatever scrumptious meal the kitchens had whipped up.

After a delicious feast and a few peaceful hours in the Hall of Fire, Elrond was tucking Estel into bed as Estel peppered him with questions. "Why is the sky blue? Where do bunnies come from? When will I be able to learn to sword fight? How do trees get so tall? What's my present for tomorrow? How big is middle-earth?"

Elrond patiently answered each question except for the second to last one. "You shall find out what your present is tomorrow Estel when you finish your lessons and are well behaved. Though you should be well behaved every day."

"I always am ada!" Estel explained, looking up at him with not-so-innocent eyes.

Elrond wasn't fooled. "I think your brothers have rubbed off on you a little too much."

Estel cheered and Elrond sighed.

"But really ada, what is it?" Estel pressed again, hoping for an answer.

"You shall find out tomorrow, and that is all I'm telling you. But you should know that tomorrow you should be extra-well behaved because Prince Legolas is coming to visit from Greenwood."

Estel's expressive silver eyes lit up in excitement. "A Prince? Really? What's he like? Will he like me? Is that my present?"

"So many questions Estel! But yes, he is really a Prince. You shall be able to find out what he is like tomorrow. I must certainly think he shall like you, but he likes little boys who get to bed and no he is not your present." Elrond answered.

"I will go to bed right away!" Estel announced and promptly slid into the covers and shut his eyes before peeking one open a bit to see if Prince Legolas had popped out of nowhere. When all he saw was his ada, he smiled and yawned. "Good night, ada."

Elrond placed a hand on his son's forehead for a moment before bestowing a light kiss in its place. "Goodnight ion-nin. Sleep well."

Before he had even left the room, Estel was already off dreaming about a mystery box that held his present and about a mysterious Prince who he had never met.


End file.
